Road joint end seal



Feb- 14, 1939- R` R. ROBERTSON ROAD JOINT END SEAL 2 SheeLs-Sheo*v lFiled June lO, 1937 VE ROBERT R. RoERTsoN Feb. 14, 1939. R. R. ROBERTSONROAD JOINT END SEAL Filed June l0, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VE UP @BERT R.ROBERTSON fil Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEApplication June I0, 1937,. Serial. No.. 147,500

13 Claims.

The present invention pertains to road joints, and more particularly toimproved end seals for closing the outer ends of the joints adjacent theroad shoulder. During the construction of the road, the improved jointend seals are disposedY against the outer ends of the joints and arecon-y tacted by the road side forms. The improved end seal is providedwith means for anchoring the same to the joint and in the concret-e roadslabs on opposite sides of the joint. The end seal is provided with aninherently expansible sealing pad of sponge rubber or similar materialwhich is so positioned that the saine is adapted to be pre-compressedduring the assembly of the end seal to provide a tight sealing contactwith the end of theV road joint before as well as after the concrete hasbeen =poured and after the road side form has been removed.

It is an object or" this invention to provide a transverse road jointwith an improved and simplified form of end seal positioned across theouter end of the joint and having means whereby the end seal may besuccessively anchored to the road joint and then tothe concrete slabsbey tween which the roadl joint is embedded.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a road joint endseal including a compressible and inherently expansible sealing padhavingv adjustable means associated therewith for compressing the padand holding the same in position with the assistance of side retainersfor holding projecting side margins of theV pad anchored in the concretein which the road joint is embedded.

It is furthermore an object of this invention to provide a road jointend seal including an inherently expansible sealing pad constructed ofcompressible material, the side margins of which are pro-vided with Wireanchors for embedding in the concrete forming the slabs on adjacentsides oi the road joint.

It is an important object oi this invention to provide an improved andsimpliiied form of road joint end seal including a pre-compressedsealing pad having a plate member associated therewith, with said platemember having anchoring bolts for adjustable engagement with sideniembers rigidly secured to the sides of the road joint affording atight adjustable seal at the end oi the joint',y and with the concreteslabs on adjacent sides of the joint by the use of side anchoring unitsportions of which are adapted to be embedded in the concrete road slabs.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparentfrom the disclosures (Cl. SLI-18) inthe specification and theaccompanying drawings.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in*V the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevational View of a road joint,Vhaving` a road end seal embodying the principles of this inventionengaged against the outer end of the joint to the inside of a roadsideform' which is illustrated in section.

Figure 2 is a' transverse vertical sectional view taken ont the lineII-I of Figure l.

Figure 3' is a fragmentary' top plan View of the joint end` sealrdisposed between the road joint and the side form.

Figure 4 isa similar fragmentary top plan View' ofthe mechanism shown inFigure 3 after the same has been embedded in concrete.

Figure 5 isa side1 elevational view of a modified form of road joint endsealf disposed between the outerl end of a road joint and adjacent aroadside form" illustrated in section.

Figure 6 is a front view of the sealing and anchoring* face of thesealing pad of the type illustrated; in Figure 5.

Figure 7 isa sideelevational view of another rnodiiied` formf of roadjoint end' seal engaged betweenthe' outer' end of a road joint and aroadside form shown in section.

Figure 8 is a top plan View of the modified form of seal shown in Figure'7.

As'shown on the drawings:

In the. form ofthe device illustrated in Figures 1v to 4,.inclusive, thereference numeral' I indicates a road side formdisposed longitudinallyof the side edge of the-road and crossing the outer end of a transverseroad expansion' joint. The eX- pansion joint comprises an upper filler"core board 2 and a lower filler or core boards separated by a reinforcedintermediate shield portion 4. The shield portion' 4 is adjustableandhas connected therewith an upper' shield plate 5 and a lower shieldplate 6 which areV positioned on diagonally opposite sides ofthe iiller'or core. Welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the outer faces of theupper and lower joint platesV 5 and E and near the outer ends thereofare threaded blocks or nuts 1, which, as illustrated in Figure 2, aredisposed on oppositesides of the joint and on' diagonally opposite sidesof the adjustable shield portion lly of the joint.

The shield portion 4 includes hollow or tubular side portions; the outerends; ofv wl'iich open to the Ythe improved end seal of this invention.

side of the road and are adapted to be sealed by The improved end sealis disposed between the outer end of the road joint and the road sideform I, and comprises a sealing cushion or pad 8 constructed of aninherently expansible compressible material, such as sponge rubber orthe like. The sealing pad or cushion 8 is wide enough to project beyondthe sides of the road joint. Seated against the outer surface of thesealing pad or cushion 8 is a pressure plate 9, the upper margin ofwhich is bent over at substantially right angles to provide a top flangeI0 which seats on the top of the sealing pad 8. Each side margin of thesealing pad 8 is provided with apertures through which a pair of upperand lower wire anchoring arms I I project. The ends of the anchoringarms II are deiiected or bent over to provide anchoring hooks I2. Theouter ends of the anchoring arms II are integrally connected by means ofa connecting wire I3 which seats against the outer surface of thesealing pad. The anchoring arms II together with the connecting memberI3 form a U-shaped anchoring unit whereby a side margin of the sealingpad is adapted to be anchored in one of the lconcrete road slabs I4within which the road joint is embedded.

Projecting through apertures in the compression plate 9 are clampingbolts I5, the threaded ends of which project through the sealing pad 8and are threaded into the retaining nuts I to draw the plate 9 towardsthe outer end of the joint thereby compressing the sealing pad 8 totightly clamp the same against the outer end of the joint, permittingportions of the compressible material forming the sealing pad to bulgeinto the ends of the hollow portions of the shield 4 of the joint. Withthe compression of the middle section of the sealing pad 8 against theend of the joint, the side margins of the sealing pad are inclined tobulge outwardly around the side edges of the compression plate 9.

With the end seal mechanism positioned between the road side form I andthe outer end oi the expansion joint mechanism, as illustrated in Figure3, concrete is poured on opposite sides of the joint to form theconcrete road slabs I4, with the concrete material embedding theanchoring arms Il. The side anchoring units for the joint hold the sidemargins of the pad compressed against the concrete slabs I 4, as clearlyillustrated in Figure 4.

The improved sealing pad 8, when clamped in position as illustrated inFigure 4, is adapted to completely seal the end of the joint atsubstantially all times for the reason that the pad is adapted to becompressed or expanded with the respective expansion and contraction ofthe road slabs I4 due to temperature changes. It will also be noted thatthe sealing pad 8 may be adjusted through the bolts I5- Figures 5 and 6illustrate a modified form of road joint end seal adapted, beforepouring of the concrete, to be engaged against the outer end of a roadjoint adjacent one side of the road side form similar to the arrangementillustrated in Figure l. The modied form of end seal is similar to thatshown in Figure i, with the exception that the sealing pad or cushion 8is replaced by a modied form of sealing pad or cushion I 5 constructedof sponge rubber or other suitable material. Integrally formed on onesurface of the sealing pad I6, are a plurality of rows of staggeredanchoring knobs or buttons Ii'I which are formed tapered inwardly fromthe outer ends toward the pad I6, so that when concrete is poured onopposite sides of the road joint, the knobs or buttons II are embeddedin the concrete to hold the side portions of the pad anchored inposition, while the middle portion of the pad seats against the outerend of the joint to close any openings therein and to form a seal at theend of the joint.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate another modified form of sealing pad orcushion adapted to be secured in position between the outer end of aroad joint and a road side form. The parts which are similar to thoseillustrated and described in connection with Figures 1 to 6, inclusive,are designated by corresponding reference numerals. The improvement liesin the sealing pad or cushion, which comprises a pad I8 constructed ofsponge rubber or other suitable material. 'Ihe pad or cushion I8 isprovided with integral dovetail anchoring ribs I9 which projectoutwardly from the longitudinal margins of one face of the pad I8 into aposition to be conveniently embedded in the concrete to hold the padanchored in position.

It will, of course, be understood that many details of construction maybe varied through a wide range without departing from the principles Iof this invention, and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit thepatent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of theappended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. The combination with an expansion joint embedded between concreteroad slabs, of internally threaded members rigidly secured to the sidesof the joint, and an end seal for the expansion joint comprising aninherently expansible seal pad engaged against the outer end of theexpansion joint, a plate member engaged against the seal pad, andretaining bolts projecting through the plate and through the seal padinto threaded engagement with the internally threaded members on thesides of the joint for compressing the seal pad against the outer end ofthe joint and against the concrete slabs to form a tight seal at the endof the expansion joint.

2. The combination with an expansion joint embedded between concreteroad slabs, of internally threaded nut members rigidly secured to thesides of the expansion joint, a compressible inherently expansible sealpad engaged against the outer end of the expansion joint and partlyembedded in the road slabs, a plate member engaged against the seal pad,and bolt members projecting through the plate and through the seal padinto threaded engagement with the nut members on the sides of theexpansion joint, said bolt members being adjustable for compressing theseal pad against the end of the joint and against the sides of the roadslabs for producing a tight seal at the end of the joint.

3. The combination with a transverse road joint embedded betweenconcrete road slabs, of a sealing unit for the road joint comprising acompressing and expansible pad, a metal shield engaging the same,threaded projections engaged on opposite sides of the road joint, andbolt members projecting through the shield and through the pad intoadjustable threaded engagement with the threaded members on the roadjoint for regulating the pressure of the pad against the end of thejoint to seal the same.

4. The combination with a transverse road joint embedded betweenconcrete road slabs, of a sealing unit engageable at the outer end ofthe joint and comprising a compressible pad, clamping means adjustablyconnectedwith the road joint for varying the pressure of the pad againstthe end of the joint, and means for anchoring projecting portions ofsaid pad to the concrete road slabs.

5. The combination with a transverse road joint embedded betweenconcrete road slabs, of an end seal for the road joint comprising acompressible pad, anchoring members connected with the pad and embeddedin the concrete road slabs on opposite sides of the joint, nut membersprojecting from opposite sides of the road joint, and bolts projectingthrough the pad into threaded adjustable engagement with the nut memberson the road joint.

6. The combination with a transverse road joint embedded betweenconcrete road slabs, of a compressible pad engaged against the outer endof the road joint, anchoring members connected with the pad and embeddedin the concrete road slab on opposite sides of the joint, nut membersprojecting from opposite sides of the road joint, a cover for said pad,and bolt members projecting through the cover and through the pad intothreaded adjustable engagement with the nut' members for varying thepressure of the pad against the outer end of the joint to seal theysame.

7. The combination with a transverse road joint embedded betweenconcrete road slabs, of an inherently expansible and compressiblesealing pad engaged against the end of the road joint and overlappingthe road slabs, means adjustably connected with the road joint forvarying the pressure of the pad against the end of the road joint, andanchoring means on the pad embedded in the concrete road slabs.

8. The combination with a transverse road joint embedded betweenconcrete road slabs, of an expansible and compressible sealing padengaged against the outer end of the joint and overlapping th roadslabs, staggered anchor members in the overlapping portions of the padembedded in the concrete road slabs for holding the sealing pad inposition toseal the end of the joint.

9. The combination with. a transverse road joint embedded betweenconcrete road slabs, of

an expansible and compressible sealing pad engaged against the outer endof the road joint and overlapping the road slabs, dovetail anchoringribs on the pad embedded in the concrete road slabs, and clamping meansadjustable with respect to the road joint and connected therewith forclamping the pad against the road joint and against the road slabs toseal the end of the joint.

10. The combination with. a road joint, of nut members secured toopposite sides thereof near an end of the joint, a plate member disposedtransversely of the end of the joint, a sealing pad engaged between theend of. the joint and the plate member, and bolts projecting through theplate member and the pad into threaded engagement with the nut memberson the sides of the joint for holding the pad compressed against the endof the joint to seal the joint.

11. The combination with a road joint embedded between concrete roadslabs, of a sealing pad engaged against the end of the joint andoverlapping the road slabs, means for clamping the pad against the endof the joint to seal the same, and anchoring members integrally formedon the pad and embedded in the concrete slabs.

l2. The combination with means defini-ng a transverse road jointstructure, of a compressing member disposed across the end of the joint,a compressible sealing medium between said member and the end of thejoint, and adjustable means connecting said member and said jointstructure for forcing them toward each other to increase the sealingeffect of said sealing medium.

13. The combination with means dening a transverse road joint of acompressing member disposed across the end of the joint, a compressiblesealing medium between said member and the end of the joint, and meansadjustably connecting said member with opposed sides of the joint andarranged movable to force said member toward the end of the joint toincrease the sealing effect of said sealing medium.

ROBERT R. ROBERTSON.

